Some handgun experts and dictionaries make a technical distinction that views
pistols as a subset of handguns; others use the terms interchangeably.
Sometimes in usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun having one
chamber integral with the barrelThe pistol originates in the 16th century, when
early handguns were produced in Europe. The English word was
introduced in ca. 1570 from the Middle French pistolet (ca.
1550).
The
etymology of the French word pistolet is disputed. It may be from a
Czech word for early hand cannons, píšťala "flute", or
alternatively from Italian pistolese, after Pistoia, a city renowned
for Renaissance-era gunsmithing, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired
from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.
The
first suggestion derives the word from Czech píšťala, a type
of hand-cannon used in the Hussite Wars during the 1420s.
The Czech word was adopted in German
as pitschale, pitschole, petsole, and variants
The
second suggestion is less likely; the use of the word as a designation of a gun
is not documented before 1605 in Italy, long after it was used in French and
German. The Czech word is well documented since the Hussite wars in 1420s.
Other
suggestions include from Middle High German pischulleor
from Middle French pistole.Also it is suggested that early pistols
were carried by cavalry in holsters hung from
the pommel (or pistallo in medieval French) of a horse's
saddle.
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